Voice dictation used to mean speaking to a tape recorder or a typist. However, as voice detection systems improve, and systems are better able to process voice into text, voice dictation systems have been implemented in software installed on a computer or mobile device. Further, voice dictation systems are able to process voice into text as a user speaks, providing significant advancements in hands-free and accessibility applications.
One of the difficulties in implementing voice dictation is adapting to a person's natural speech patterns. Current voice dictation systems process full spoken word strings as text and process the text for commands or punctuation. However, it is difficult for many systems to process the text for commands or punctuation. Some systems look for pauses to determine the end of the text and use this pause as a cue that the next string will include a command to be executed on the previous string. If a user pauses in their speech to collect their thoughts or think about what to say next, and the next string includes a word that may be interpreted as a command, a command may be executed despite the user not wanting to execute a command at the same time.
Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods for improved voice dictation that is able to better account for a user's natural speech patterns and differentiate between different meanings for dictated words, including words that may be commands and/or punctuation.